SUNDAY~FUNDAY #20: Deep River & Eden Valley

I was reading FB posts this morning while waiting for the coffee to finish perking; people were posting and commenting on pictures of Deep River … and that got my heart to longing to revisit that place and trip down Memory Lane for an hour or so.

So, I drank a cup of coffee, posted a post asking how the weather was that way; and dressed for the daytrip.

After being trapped indoors under a stinking cloud of wildfire smoke for a week-and-a half, I was itching to get out and about on a Sunday~Funday daytrip (https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/09/fire-in-skysmoke-on-water.html).

The recent rainfall has helped tremendously in clearing the smoke and refreshening the air (https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/09/rainy-shabbat.html).

I was outside earlier this week, but my lungs suffered for days following (https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/09/smoke-ice.html).

This morning, with the air quality being so favorable – a {10} reading – I figured it was safe for me to get outside, and have the car’s air conditioner running, too.

My lungs are doing fine, and the owie to my foot settled down too, so I busted out and broke loose this morning :-D

I stopped at the Baker’s Corner gas terminal to wash bug guts off my windshield … and noticed there was a gritty ash cover on the car; I hadn’t noticed it before now, because I haven’t been out and about until now. I’ll have to wash that off tomorrow – the weather should be warm enough yet to do that: a forecast of 63-degrees tomorrow around 10 AM.

When I reached Cathlamet, a notice popped up on the car’s dash …

FOR WHAT ??? - the notice never explains WHY!

It is frustrating that I am never ‘notified’ WHAT needs "maintained”. But I do know that oil changes are frequent – and cars overheat: not sure WHY cars overheat, but I know they do. So, I was concerned.

I called David, a guy friend, and explained the situation and asked if it was safe for me to continue on to Rosburg … or should I get my ass back home and park the car until I can get it into Dick Hannah’s Maintenance garage. He said he thought it might be an oil change issue, and that I should be okay to run my butt off today.

He said not to worry.

Guys know these things; so, I continued on down the road.

But, the further down the road I got, the more concerned I got.

The dash board notification didn’t go away.

The bright warning triangle troubled me.

And Elohim intervened, and set my mind at ease – He’s great about soothing my troubled thoughts😉

He dropped a thought into my thoughts … and I listened: I was passing the church between Rosburg and Deep River, so I nipped into the church’s parking lot, and explained to the pastor and another guy named Kyle, about the warning triangle and how I’d really appreciate a man’s input. Yes, I used the Widow Card – not for sympathy, but for information and knowledge, since Bob is no longer here to ‘do’ or ‘explain’.

This is what Christians are supposed to do: help one another. Especially Widows and children. So, I utilized that understanding: Elohim led me there, and I was helped … and for future references, shown where things were under the hood of this particular car. I do not want to get married again so I have a man to keep my car in top running order.

Valley Bible Church; Rosburg. Very helpful, friendly people - country folk generally are.

The Highlander was checked, and I was shown where the oil dipstick is located.

I appreciated those men’s help and said so.

I thanked them with a smile and a wave, and drove off.

A little bit down the highway, I turned off the main road and onto the Deep River Road.

The town of Deep River was a fishing community, originally founded in 1890, by Finnish immigrant fishermen. Eventually Swedish immigrant lumberjacks began to settle in Deep River also; they drove log pilings into the marshland and river edges, and built houses atop the pilings – later a store, arcade, and a hotel was built. They even laid a wooden plank roadway to make getting in and out of Deep River easier. Deep River was a booming community alive with activity. The Deep River Cemetery was established on a hill above the town. And a church was built at the bottom of the cemetery hill.

Plank roadway at Deep River.

Deep River gravel road. 1961.

Deep River Hotel.

Deep River: what was left of the town in the late 1970’s. It was practically a ghost town; very little was still standing - and that was in serious disrepair.

Demolishing of Deep River Store. 10-07-2016.

Last time we were here, there wasn’t more than 2 or 3 houses – and those looked like they should be condemned. The whole place was a mud-hole.

I hadn’t been here since I was last here with Bob & our 3 yo grandson Aza, in the summer of 2017. This was a painfully hard memory. (https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2017/06/hell-peddles-hell.html)

The church and cemetery are the only thing left of the town itself. I think there are 2 houses left, being lived in by die-hards. The cemetery is still used by members of the Lutheran church. The cemetery is small, and last count was 200 burials. The church and cemetery are not listed on County or State Rosters … and there are no Historical Markers pointing the way, so they are only found by those who know where to look for them.

I never visited the cemetery with Bob. We drove past it, but we never drove up the hill: I was curious about it; I’ve always been curious about it.

Deep River Lutheran Church; directly across from the cemetery road.

People must park along the roadway below and walk up the long drive because there is no parking room once up there.

Most of the headstones’ script is in the Finnish and Swedish language.

It’s a narrow strip of land that wanders into the background trees.

Leaving the church and cemetery behind, I drove the road back to the main highway; remembering Bob driving his dad’s Harley along this road, with my arms wrapped around his torso and my thighs hugging his thighs. Man! The memories that thought invoked 😉

Bob Sr's Harley. We always borrowed it in 1974.

In 1974, the river was full of boats, net shacks, and very old plack walkways.

I wish I had known Deep River in its heyday. I liked going there with Bob before it completely disappeared.

I had noticed when I drove through Graysriver earlier, that Duffy’s had had its Menu Board set up on the gravel flanking the highway; and the parking lot was full of cars … and I made a mental note to stop there to eat.

So, I did :-D

I eat here every time they are open; they aren’t always open, so this is my special treat for myself when they are.

I love the bohemian interior – SO ME 😉

I ate my oyster burger and potato salad on the ‘honeymoon deck’, as usual, and listened (not eavesdropping, just couldn’t avoid the loud chatter) to drunken travelers around me – no joke: everyone who got out of their cars and walked with me into Duffy’s were already leaning heavily; and they ordered vodka mixed drinks as soon as they entered. It would have scared me being on the road with them again, if I wasn’t heading to Eden Valley after eating.

The couples had come up this way from Seaside, Astoria, and Long Beach; escaping to road and drink following covid and wildfire home entrapments. People are desperate to escape this hell that has been unleased on the world. They had a long drive back home, and I hoped they all made it.

Me?

I headed to Eden Valley to have conversations with my dead husband.

I guess I’m kinda ‘leaning heavily’ too, in a different way, to find solid footing in my own circumstances and situation.

All our plots have been stripped!

I had placed these bouquets August 30^th … darn it!

Bits of Bob’s arrangement was strewn about.

I think a herd of elk passed through …

I saw sign of elk on the gravel when I parked the Highlander.

Some crushed berries from Grandma’s bouquet.

The spotty remnants trail led to the back fence.

I'm going to lift everyone's arrangements off-ground.

Talking about the day ...

Glancing around before I left, I noticed that another cross had joined the Tor’s marker on the Brueland Plot area. Poor David; these appear to be his parent’s; and the markers are obviously handmade, and show that they were worked with loving care. My heart went out to him – he was so kind and thoughtful when he helped me prepare of Bob’s Celebration of Life last August; he made my hard day a whole lot easier.

(https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2019/08/between-now-and-then-until-i-see-you.html)

I’m asking Elohim to make his days a whole lot easier; he deserves a blessing for his compassion towards me.

The stick is for actual location identification

On my way home, I got to thinking that I really need to know what type of maintenance my car needs … and when it needs it: the mechanics at Dick Hannah do the work for me, but they never explain anything to me like Bob would. I need to know, so that I know how much wiggle room I have when that stupid dash board message pops up.

AND JUST LIKE THAT, Elohim provided the answer :-D

Direct answer to my prayer was waiting for me at home, in the mailbox: it came in the AARP Magazine 😉

**SUNDAY~FUNDAY POSTS (2020) –

#19 - https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/09/sundayfunday-19-bobs-bd-cape.html

#18 – https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/08/sundayfunday-18-fort-columbia.html

#17 – https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/08/sundayfunday-17-lunch-on-steamboat.html

#16 – https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/08/sundayfunday-16-ive-earned-my-wings.html

#15 – https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/07/sundayfunday-15-longbeach-illwaco.html

#14 – https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/07/sundayfunday-14-julia-butler-hansen.html

#13 – https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/07/sundayfunday-13-haydu-park.html

#12 – https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/06/sundayfunday-12-fathers-day.html

#11 – https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/06/sundayfunday-11-kalama-waterfront-walk.html

#10 – https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/05/sundayfunday-10.html

#9 – https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020_04_27_archive.html

(plus 1st thru 8th SUNDAY~FUNDAY links)**

RAINY SHABBAT

Rain has finally come to our region of the PNW!

It started last night, around Suppertime … I heard the thunder first and saw the bright flashes of sheet lightening pierce that darkness before I heard the rain start.

The lightening concerned me because everything is so dry – 1 touchdown, and a new wildfire would be born.

But, the lightening did not fork that I could see: graciously, Yeshua kept the bright flashes above ground.

With the first roar of rolling thunder, I could feel my body literally vibrate with the anticipation of the first raindrop … and when it came, I wanted to run outside and dance in it

The rainfall is supposed to continue through Thursday.

I never thought I’d be so darned happy to see rain 😁👏

((((THANK YOU, YESHUA!))))

Last night, I went to bed with a smile on my face – listening to the rhythm of the falling rain; it was such a comforting sound: WA State really needed this rainfall. It’s been a pretty dry year.

And Yeshua was faithful last night: He opened the skies – AND HOW!

“Yet Yeshua has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from Heaven, and fruitful seasons; filling your hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17).

When I woke up this morning, I couldn’t hear rain dancing across my roof – or trickling down the gutter/downspout. That concerned me. We need more than a wetting tease. I glanced out the livingroom windows as I made my way to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee: the street was shiny, so there had been recent rain.

But how much?

Coffee perkily perking, I padded back to the bedroom. Passing what was the TV Room when Bob and Azariah were in-house; and I stopped, peeking out the window to see if the rain had washed some of the smoke layer  away:

Morning sky - I could actually SEE the sky!

WOW! The hills are visible. My heart was happy; my soul rejoiced in the Lord’s faithfulness.

The overnight rain had significantly cleared the atmosphere.

There was no rain today until after 1’noon … and that was more of a drizzle:

Not much more than a light drizzle – but wet is wet. Right now, this region will take what it can get, and be glad of it 😉

This rainfall will help A LOT. Wildfires will cool off, and firefighters will have an easier time of visibility to see what they are up against, and how best to work the situation. Firefighting is dangerous – and it’s a volunteer ‘job’. It is a job that carries a great risk. I lost a firefighter friend to a wildfire backdraft shortly after Bob and I married. And occasionally Bob was called to sit fire watch on the logging landing during fire season: I didn’t breathe an easy breath until he walked back through the door. Sitting fire watch was not an easy thing for Bob to do – but he did it because his boss asked him to, and they loved each other like father and son. Bob had been in a house fire when he was a baby; he had burn scars in his chest, arms, hands, legs, and feet. The scars weren’t very noticeable until he tanned … and Bob tanned a dark chestnut brown. No one but Bob and I understood how Bob struggled with that assignment when it came around.

It’s really sad to read about the various places wildfires are eating their way across the region. It’s hard to see the names of backcountry areas Bob and I annually enjoyed on day long daytrips; and know that they have gone up in smoke. It will take decades to rebound. My heart goes out to the poor people that live in those remote areas 😔 MAP: Washington state wildfires at a glance

But, as sad as it is … and as chaotically concerning as it has been; I honestly have to say, straight up, that 2018 was my worst year.

2018 was a good year for Bob, as he stepped off this planet into a new life in a parallel universe – to walk streets of gold, his spirit housed in a new eternal vessel that will never age, get sick, or die; wearing a gold crown, a white robe, and golden slippers to walk golden streets with Yeshua and other Saints in a celestial City beyond the clouds, too beautiful for accurate description.

Recieving the Crown of Life. I bet Bob looks so handsome wearing his ;-)

Not sure what heaven’s footwear looks like, but I do know what Bob would wear down here …

2018 was a banner year for Bob.

On the other hand, 2018 was not so hot for me.

Joyous Sorrow is a complicated thing … my soul rejoices that Bob is “Home”: my heart breaks every day that he is not here with me. I juggle thankfulness and sorrow as best I can.

I’m glad for Bob …. And I try not to be too sad for me. After all, Heaven is our Goal – and Bob has attained that goal.

I just really, really MISS Bob.

Rainfall really started pounding the ground around 5 PM tonight. My heart was filled with grateful happiness.

And I laughed out loud when I saw other neighbors outside too, with their recording phones  It felt good to be outside again – and able to breathe easy without seizing lungs and heart palpations.

“The Lord is great, and greatly to be praised. His faithfulness – beautiful for situations; the joy of the whole Earth, His creation.”

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbWL7yvK80E)

Ground so dry, the rainfall just puddles ...

Elohim spoke to my heart while I was kneading bread dough this afternoon: he revealed something to me on a personal level (it just came out of nowhere, and caught me off-guard), and I am mulling over and seeking guidance on it.

I don’t argue with my Father – He knows best what is best for my life.

And I have trusted His Will for my life, all of my life.

So, this rainy Sabbath, I am relaxing.

Enjoying my goblet of wine.

Enjoying the gentle evening rainfall.

And giving my mind a rest.

L’Chiam!

Blowing of the Shofar & Various Shabbat Songs:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5dO1m4HMCU)